Appropriately Contrite
by Prufrax
Summary: Elsa feels that Anna should be repentant about her actions in the past, but being lost herself, she is unable to stop sending mixed signals. It does not help that Anna is so oblivious.
1. Chapter 1

**PUNISHMENT**

Some months after Arendelle was thawed from the eternal winter, Anna's childhood memories began returning to her. Or rather, correcting themselves.

At first, Anna found this to be a boon. Every new discovery about the past led to lengthy and fun conversations with Elsa. Anna was able to spend a lot more time than usual with her sister when they shared these little mementos of their past. That was until she recalled the night of the accident. Everything changed then.

"So, now you know…" Elsa said in a rather grim tone.

Anna saw the change in her sister's mood and immediately felt terrible about bringing it up. The past was supposed to be the past, especially between them, or so she thought. Were they not supposed to have a fresh start?

"Yes," Anna replied as she began wringing her hands nervously. "And I want to say that I'm very, very sorry about what happened."

"You're sorry?!" Elsa's voice was full of incredulity and anger. She suddenly walked toward her sister and came to stand mere inches away from her face.

Anna had not known what to expect from this exchange when she first came to talk with Elsa, but it certainly was not this. The intensity of the fire in her sister's eyes was in fact a bit terrifying.

"Do you have any notion of the appalling inadequacy of that statement, Anna?"

All the redhead could do was walk back and flinch every time some spittle landed on her face.

"I… umm… no?" she fumbled with the words, trying to come up with an answer. What did Elsa want her to say when she did not even know why the blonde was so angry in the first place?

"Of course you don't." The anger in Elsa's voice did not wane in the least as she carried on to explain. "Allow me to enlighten you, dearest Anna. Not only did you force upon me an isolation that lasted more than a decade, but in the process you rotted my heart! And all because you couldn't stop being an overeager and bumbling idiot with no regard for her own safety!"

Anna was staring at Elsa with wide eyes, completely dumbfounded. What in God's name was her sister talking about? What was…

Her thoughts were abruptly cut short when Elsa grabbed both her wrists forcefully.

"You poisoned my heart for years, until it became a shriveled black thing that now pumps a putrid black pitch into my head! Oh, you have no idea the thoughts your actions have planted in my mind, even if it was out of ignorance. An apology is not nearly enough, Anna. You will take responsibility for your actions as an adult and as a princess should!"

The iron grip on Anna's wrists was beginning to hurt , and that made her find her strength.

"Let me go!" She freed herself and turned around to run toward the door. The floor was practically covered in snow, which she had not noticed until now. There was just one thought in her mind as she ran out the door of Elsa's office. Her chambers. She had to get to her bedchambers.

Once inside the room, Anna locked the door without a glance back and flopped face-first on her bed. She had been feeling the sting of tears in her eyes for a while now, but only now was she able to let them go. How had that conversation gone so wrong so quickly?

The dark oranges of the evening sky gave way to the dark blues and black of night, but Anna did not have the will or the strength to move. She chose to just remain as she was, not bothering to change into her nightgown or even getting under the sheets. Lying haphazardly on the bed, she tried to relax and pursue the rest she direly needed.

Sleep did not come. Her mind was full of thoughts and her heart was heavy with a maelstrom of swirling emotions that she could not calm at all. Elsa, her beloved big sister, had revealed a side of herself that Anna had never even imagined existed. And yes, Elsa was right, it was Anna's recklessness that had caused their separation and subsequent isolation. But they were kids! It had been an accident! Could she not see that?

Anna did not know how to feel about Elsa's outburst. She wanted to be angry, but she also felt very sad. Anger aside, her big sister had also looked broken. It was as if her soul had been shattered in a thousand pieces years ago, and she had been barely holding the shards together until today. Today everything came undone, and Elsa's eyes had reflected that fact with uncanny accuracy. It was a look Anna had seen before and wished she could wipe away from her sister's life forever. For whatever reason, she had thought it was going to be easier than this. Apparently, the happy ever-after only happened in fairy tales.

Midnight came, heartily announced by the long-case clock in the gallery, and Anna was no closer to finding answers or any reprieve from her thoughts. It was then that she heard the faint knock on her door. Had she been asleep, she would surely have missed it.

When she rose from her bed, Anna was already planning what to say. She knew who was on the other side of the door. No one else would come to her room at this hour of the night. First things first, she was going to apologize for running away and shutting the door. Then, perhaps she and Elsa would be able to talk and figure things out with more composure than the previous evening.

However, Elsa was having none of that. The moment Anna opened the door, her older sister barged into the room. It really was not a forceful action, rather it had been done with poise and grace, just as everything she did, but it still angered Anna. How dare Elsa keep this attitude when all she wanted was to reconcile with her?

"Close the door," Elsa commanded once she was standing beside the bed.

Anna thought of demanding an explanation for all this mistreatment against her, but the tone of Elsa's voice left it quite clear that there would be no arguments. The redhead had never been on the receiving end of the Queen of Arendelle's commanding voice. After swallowing both her thoughts and the lump in her throat, Anna reluctantly did as she was instructed.

"Come closer," Elsa said without animosity, or really any other emotion at all. It was as if they were standing in court making negotiations.

This did not sit well with Anna at all. Still, after looking for a moment at the rug under her feet like it was the most interesting thing in the history of ever, she once again did as her sister told her.

"Disrobe."

"What?!" Anna replied, very obviously taken aback by the strange request.

Maybe Anna had not heard correctly, or perhaps she was already losing her mind. There was a very distinct possibility that the ice Elsa put in her head all those years ago had somehow managed to finally drive her mad after all this time.

"Remove your clothes, Anna."

"Oh, I heard you just fine! It's just… it's just that…" She just could not form a coherent sentence. Surprise, fear and anger were all pulling her tongue in different directions. What was she even supposed to say?!

"Fine," Elsa declared in her imperious tone, looking down her nose at Anna. "I can see that you are still unwilling to assume the responsibility for your past actions. For what you did to me and what you did to yourself, to the both of us. If you won't be an adult, and you won't behave in a manner that is befitting of a princess, then I suppose this conversation is over."

Without waiting for a response, Elsa walked toward the door and opened it, leaving a befuddled Anna behind. Before stepping through the threshold, the blonde looked over her shoulder.

"Good night, Anna."

After that night, Elsa did not exchange more than a few words with Anna for an entire week. They barely saw each other for what seemed like a few minutes at a time. Not even at breakfast, dinner or supper would Anna see her sister. Somehow, Elsa had managed to reschedule her meal-times and abscond herself to some secret place within the palace in order to eat them.

As the days went by, Anna felt a tad grateful for the time to organize her feelings, but mostly she was just hurt. Never before had she considered, even remotely, that her sister could be so mean and spiteful. Although one thought did bring Anna pause. Perhaps it was easier for her to accept that what happened in the ballroom had been an accident, simply because she had not been the one who was imprisoned in her own room for years.

When exactly seven days had elapsed, Elsa entered Anna's room without knocking on the door. It was the late evening and the redhead was sitting at her vanity, combing her hair, when she was startled by the sudden appearance of her sister in the mirror. Anna tried to stand up but Elsa stayed her by placing both hands on her shoulders. Unable to stand up from the cushioned stool or turn around, Anna simply stared into her sister's reflection, trying to glean the purpose of this visit by searching her sapphire eyes.

"Will you do it tonight?" Elsa asked in a soft, kind tone.

"Do what?" Anna replied too quickly. Now it was obvious that she already knew what her sister meant, so she mentally sighed.

Anna was surprised to see a gentle smile grace Elsa's lips.

"Disrobe for me."

"Elsa!" Anna exclaimed indignantly. Yes, she already knew this was coming since Elsa mentioned doing something for her, but hearing the shameless request spoken so openly was still quite appalling.

When Elsa removed her hands from Anna's shoulders, the redhead immediately felt like the room had cooled down. She felt somewhat alone and forsaken without her sister's touch. Elsa left the room just as quickly as she had come in. She was like the summer breeze that comes in unannounced through the window and then leaves without leaving behind a single trace of its passing.

After a few days went by, and Anna was treated to the same attitude from her sister as she had the week before, it dawned on her that there was a pattern to this. For every time she refused Elsa's request, she would rewarded with an entire week of isolation. There was only so much Kristoff, Sven and Olaf could do to keep Anna's mind occupied. At this point, she simply could not help her heart breaking because of this rift that her own sister was creating between them. This was unusual and cruel punishment! Or was it? Anna did not feel so sure about that anymore.

The obligatory seven days went by, and the next time Elsa came into Anna's room, the redhead was prepared. She had a full week to get into the right mindset. After all, what was so upsetting about Elsa's request? They had seen each other naked all the time when they were children. They were both girls. Neither had anything the other had not seen before. There was nothing wrong about it. Right?

Elsa did not even have to open her mouth. Before she even finished closing the door, Anna had already begun removing her nightgown. Just for good measure, she also removed her undergarments, leaving herself completely exposed to Elsa. And that, for some reason, seemed to startle the blonde.

Anna was sure that she was blushing profusely, but to see the same happen to her sister, not to mention the wide-eyed look she was receiving, was oddly comforting. Their separation was not as grave as she had assumed at first. There was still a connection between them, even if that link was a shared embarrassment of Anna's nakedness.

That said, Elsa still managed to keep her perfect queenly composure as she glided toward Anna.

There was no logic in Elsa thinking that her sister would just accept all of this with no issue whatsoever, but still, when Anna flinched involuntarily at her approaching hand, the blonde took a step back. The blonde reacted instantaneously by turning toward the door and walking away. However, Anna was faster and she grabbed her sister's wrist, effectively impeding her retreat.

"Don't. Please stay," she pleaded, looking into her sister's eyes. Those eyes that seemed to pin her on the spot by doing nothing at all except looking at her.

Elsa did not reply. She simply moved closer to Anna and smiled lovingly as she tucked one of the redhead's messy locks behind one ear. Then, she let that same hand slide down the side of Anna's face, caressing her cheek on the way down to a freckled shoulder.

This was weird, also embarrassing, and Anna could not help instinctively closing her eyes. She could feel her sister's cool fingertips gliding along her skin, tracing random patterns on her freckles as if trying to draw constellations with them.

Even though she was standing, after a few minutes Anna began feeling very relaxed, perhaps even sleepy. The thought that she might wobble and fall crossed her mind, but this felt too nice to care. Why had she been so reluctant? What dirty thoughts had corrupted her reasoning that she refused her sister the pleasure of this simple act. It was obvious that Elsa missed the touch of skin and that was all there was to this.

Or so she thought. At least up to the point when she was jolted to complete alertness by a smooth hand gently caressing her breast.

"Elsa!" Anna shouted, feeling somewhat horrified and outraged. She inexpertly covered her breasts and lady-parts with her arms, feeling true shame for the first time since this whole deal began.

Aghast and livid could barely begin to convey how Anna felt when she saw Elsa walk straight out the door, sparing only a glance back at her before giving a hasty farewell and good night.


	2. Chapter 2

**SHAME**

As the days went by, and Elsa was nowhere to be seen once again, Anna's anger had time to cool down and begin its inevitable transformation into dread and misery. Was this how things were going to be for the two of them? She missed her sister dearly with every fiber of her being. Did Elsa not share that sentiment? Why was she doing this to her? Anna began wondering if they had truly fallen worlds apart during their separation and had no chance to ever be together as they used to be when they were children.

One thing was certain in Anna's mind. The idea burned brightly like a lighthouse in the midst of the dark waters of the tempestuous ocean that was her confused mind. Whatever was going to happen between Elsa and her, it would not be because of her own negligence. Anna vowed right then that she would do her utmost to make things work between them. Even if it meant… God, she could not even think about it without feeling embarrassed enough to consider scuttling under her bed and never coming out. Still, she would do it. Whatever effort necessary to have her sister back. Just as she had done before.

The week was over, it was the early night, and Anna was ready. She had even foregone the use of undergarments when she changed into her nightgown. It was hard to breathe and hard to swallow. Were the knot in her stomach and the weight on her chest due to fear, or anticipation? She really could not tell amidst her fretting. While she waited, a small smile had been plastered on her face and it simply refused to go away no matter what she tried. Seeing Elsa after an entire week made her feel giddy with joy. What she had to do in order to see her sister? Not so much.

Suddenly, Elsa stepped into the room and cut Anna's musings short. It was time.

Prepared for this as she was, Anna still found it hard to look into her sister's eyes. At first, when Elsa approached her, she opted for averting her gaze to look at anything in the room. The paintings, the vanity, the door, all common items that had gained unexpected importance during the last month or so. Then, when she felt Elsa's cool touch along her jaw, Anna closed her eyes and focused hard on trying to calm down the fluttering beat of her heart and the turbulent feelings within it.

"Anna?" Elsa beckoned, breaking Anna's focus and grounding her back in the moment.

A mumble was the only response the redhead managed to muster.

"Look at me, Anna." Elsa tried turning her sister's face toward her own by using her fingers to capture the younger's chin.

Anna, however, was embarrassed enough as it was, so looking into her sister's eyes was out of the question. So, she promptly shook her face in response.

"Please?" Elsa whispered in a pleading tone.

What was happening? If Anna had been floating adrift in a sea of confusion before, now she was positively drowning. Had Elsa not been coming to demand and to impose her will every time she entered this room? At least for the past few weeks. Why was she acting like this now?

Anna did not have time to go over the doubts that were gnawing at her mind. When she felt Elsa moving away from her, she panicked and swiftly opened her eyes, reaching out at the same time to capture the blonde's arm with both hands.

"Wait! Don't go. I'm looking. See? I'm looking at you now. Just… please don't leave."

The sadness, and subsequent relief, that Anna saw in Elsa's face when she stopped her, took her by surprise. The Queen had schooled her expression into a calm and collected one almost instantly, but Anna had managed to catch a glimpse of whatever was going on under the surface. She was sure of it. Now she was also sure about something else. Things were not as simple as they seemed, and to say that Elsa was keeping something big hidden behind her seemingly impassive eyes was a gross understatement.

"I have a feeling that you think I'm being vindictive and punishing you unfairly," Elsa began without preamble. "I'm not, Anna. Can't you see?"

The redhead simply stared without saying anything. To her, Elsa's actions did seem a little like she wanted some kind of revenge against her. Of course Anna could not say that aloud. It would be tantamount to burning bridges, as the saying goes. While still on top of them.

Elsa frowned slightly, then turned around, and strangely enough, began fidgeting with her hands. Anna added the fact to the now endless list of bizarre events that started when she began recovering her memories.

"This is not some petty revenge against my own sister who, it seems I must clarify, I love dearly with all my heart." Elsa made a pause and turned to face Anna once again, her sapphire eyes boring into her sister's turquoise as if she could peer into her very soul. "Answer me this, though. Don't you feel like I'm entitled to some measure of retribution for what I suffered through my entire childhood?"

There it was again. Yet, Elsa had said it was not some petty revenge. Well, it certainly sounded like it, right? At least to the redhead's ears. No. Anna reminded herself that she was not going to walk down that path. She had no right to say what Elsa should or should not feel. Her sister had suffered enough of that when their parents confined her to her own room. If this was what Elsa wanted, then Anna was going to do her utmost to oblige. A little embarrassment was a cheap price to pay for keeping her sister beside her and happy. Or maybe even a lot of embarrassment.

Out of her own volition, Anna undid the buttons of her nightgown and allowed it to slip down her body. It unceremoniously pooled at her feet, where she kicked it to one side. If Elsa wanted to touch skin, then she was going to get exactly that. Anna reached out and grabbed both of her sister's wrists, and then proceeded to guide those delicate hands directly toward her chest. She was a little surprised to actually feel some satisfaction when she saw the blonde's eyes widen in surprise at her daring action. Well, daring was a bit of an exaggeration, since Anna was pretty sure that all the heat she was feeling on her face was due to a burning blush.

The cool touch of Elsa's hands on her bosom elicited a short gasp from Anna. She had never been touched like this by anyone ever. Never ever before. And although this was her sister, and this was just a chaste exploration of skin by a young woman who had no chance to do so ever before, Anna had to admit that it made her feel pleasantly warm. Which probably was just a normal reaction of everyone's body if put under these same circumstances. Yep, that was it.

"Turn around," Elsa said in her queenly imperious voice.

For some reason, it was not until the blonde spoke that Anna became aware of the smile on her own face, and the fact that her eyes had closed without her really noticing when. Unfortunately, as it was now the norm with this blizzard of emotion her sister had been putting her through, there was no time for figuring out what was happening inside her own head. Elsa was staring at her as if trying to convey her command once again, but this time by sheer willpower alone. Oh, how much Anna wanted to refuse! She really, truly did. But she also knew that she should not. So, she did not.

When Anna finally turned around, Elsa spoke again.

"Put your hands on the bedside table."

Anna gulped loudly, having already figured out where this was leading. After all, she was the curious one. As a young teenager, she had already taken to the task of exploring that most peculiar part of herself that resided between her legs. Bleeding and hairiness aside, its shape was in fact somewhat interesting, but not that much. Did Elsa not have a mirror in her own room? Anna wondered if perhaps that was why her sister never had a chance to explore her own bits. Because that had to be the reason why the blonde wanted to see hers, right?

This time, Anna instead sort of gulped down her emotions as she leaned forward to rest the palms of her hands on the small table. She closed her eyes again and mentally braced herself for what was about to happen. Fortunately, or unfortunately, as it were, she did not have to wait too long.

Not two seconds passed before Anna felt the cool touch of Elsa's hands on her bottom. At first, she hated it with all her might, only accepting the intrusive touch because of the oath she had sworn to herself. Odd as it would be to admit it in the future, if she ever did, the feeling did not last. The caress was just too light and careful, tentative even. It was hard for the redhead to keep up with her sister. Yes, the interaction had been coaxed, and yes, Anna felt embarrassed to no end. Yet, Elsa was not mean or aggressive in the least. If anything, she was being loving.

The redhead's jaw tightened, feeling just a little bit frustrated. If the ice had not driven her mad, then surely all of this would.

Suddenly, the touching stopped, and Anna could not help but feel slightly relieved. It had not been as bad as she assumed at first, but it still was way too embarrassing. And coming from someone who jumped head first into situations and sometimes made a fool of herself, that was saying something.

"Could you..." a tiny cough escaped Elsa and she cleared her throat.

Had Elsa hesitated just now? Anna felt a pang of dread. This was her sister, the most eloquent speech deliverer she knew. Something was about to go very downhill. Like falling from a cliff downhill.

"Could you instead lean on your elbows?" Elsa finished rather timidly. And the cherry on top? More mixed signals!

Of course the relief she felt earlier was not meant to last. What had she been thinking? A minute ago, who knows? Right now, Anna was thinking about jumping through the window. That seemed like the more sensible course of action after hearing her sister ask that she took a position to better display her… her that! Oh my.

Without knowing why, Anna's legs went weak. Somehow, she managed to keep herself upright, but it was not easy. Like at all. A dizziness was overcoming her head and it was becoming so hard to think straight. Only one thought was clear. Elsa.

Anna was really considering getting away from her sister posthaste. The problem was, that if she did such a thing, then they were never going to make any progress. Wherever this was going, she had to see it through. For Elsa. Anna could put up with a little shame. What was utter and all-consuming embarrassment compared to sating her sister's curiosity and making her happy? Nothing! That was what.

With her will once again galvanized, Anna shakily allowed her arms to bend. First, she placed one elbow on the table, then the other, and finally rested her head against her forearms. Things could not get any worse than this, of that Anna was sure.

Oh, how wrong she was. When Anna felt Elsa's cool breath against her rather moist skin, she whimpered. Reining in the need to flee was by far the hardest thing she had done tonight. It was like the ever present long tail of a gown, trailing after every single thought that crossed her mind.

Fine, Elsa had a keen interest in human anatomy, and Anna, as the only person close to her, was perfectly appropriate for the task of showing her. Run! Such a thing was perfectly normal when one considered that Elsa had lived with barely any human contact at all for more than a decade. Run! That her interest seemed to be very, very piqued by the most intimate part of a woman's body was really nothing out of the ordinary. Run! Because, well, seeing one's own was difficult. Run! Nothing like being able to stare at it from mere inches away. Run! Going to others for that was also normal. Run! Even if they were one's own sister. Run! Run! Run!

Anna did not run. She was brave and she held the line. A sense of pride filled her mind, helping her push all those other thoughts away. Quite a serendipitous thing to happen. Surely, now that she had overcome this daunting hurdle, things could not get worse.

That was when Anna felt Elsa's cool lips planting a kiss on her. Down there.

"Elsa!" Anna half shouted, half squealed before turning around to push her sister away.

When the blonde fell to the floor on her bottom, Anna saw her chance to escape. Surprisingly enough, she never actually managed to get to the door. For someone who had spent half her life inside a room, Elsa was unbelievably nimble, and the redhead found herself held by the waist by two pale arms. Anna struggled, twisting her body around and pushing with her arms to free herself. But when she was about to succeed, she heard her sister's broken voice. A sound that Anna was certain would bring her to a halt no matter what she was doing or where.

"Is it really so terrible, Anna? Do you really loathe my touch so much?"

Anna stood there, frozen in place. Her sister was crying. This woman, who was all majestic poise and full of virtue was practically bawling, not unlike when she thawed Arendelle. Actually, this was the first time in her life that Anna had heard Elsa crying like this.

That brought the chaos in her heart to more manageable levels. Elsa, her big sister, needed her. Anna felt something cold and wet on her cheek, and then noticed that snow had begun falling inside her room. Things were pretty bad, then.

It was in that moment that a pang of rebellion crossed her mind. Why should she care if Elsa was having a hard time? Had the blonde not treated her horribly for the last few weeks? After everything Anna had done, and only to have their relationship practically go back to the way it was before the coronation?

Oh.

Then, it dawned on her. Withdrawing herself from other people was Elsa's way of coping with her personal problems. She was almost the polar opposite of Anna. So, the blonde had not been acting mean on purpose. Well, that certainly was a relief.

The realization caused Anna to relax a little, her body no longer ready to spring forth and make a run for the door. Elsa had not been cruel on purpose, she actually had been hurting all those times. Having to wait one week to see her was probably more a case of Elsa not being able to face Anna, rather than a way to punish the her.

As it was now customary, Anna's thoughts were interrupted by Elsa. She felt those graceful arms surround her midsection tightly, and then, the comfortable pressure of her sister's body behind her. A hug was a hug, after all. It did not matter the direction it was coming from.

"You know, Anna?" Elsa whispered. "If you answer truthfully to my question, I'll tell you a secret. Would you like that?"

Warm breath caressed Anna's shoulder and a delicious shudder ran down her back in response. Of course she would like that. No, she would love it. Then things could be like all those years ago when they perpetrated some mischief and kept the secret between themselves. Sharing that with her sister was such a thrill! The redhead remembered the safety and intimacy that only having a confidant could provide.

"Yes, I would love that, Elsa." And at her answer, Anna felt her sister's face come to rest in the nook of her neck.

"Tell me then, is my touch so terrible?"

Was it? There was an indefinable wrongness to it, and she was quite angry about the whole deal, but it was not what Elsa was doing with her hands that bothered her so. No, it was the loss of agency, of dignity, of freedom, of safety… The touch, though… If she were to be honest about it, Anna could not say that the sensation of her sister's hands on her skin bothered her all that much. In fact, it kind of felt good. When it happened, the redhead noticed that a different kind of warmth she had never felt before, even with warm hugs, flared all over her body. Not to mention the tingling and the blushing.

"No," Anna managed to whisper, and then hastily tried to take it back. "But it's wrong… I think…"

The Queen just went on to reply as if she had not heard anything beyond that first word.

"Did you know, Anna, that each star we can see above in the celestial vault is just like our sun?" Elsa said in a voice that Anna could only describe as reverent, and then, she felt cool lips gently touching the skin of her neck for the briefest moment. She shuddered again.

"Yes," the redhead rasped, and then tried in vain to clear her throat. "I think I remember that from my science lessons…"

"Which means that each star we can see has several worlds circling it," Elsa continued. "Worlds that may just be like ours, teeming with life. There may even be people like us inhabiting them. Can you imagine how many people may live in the skies, then?"

Anna simply shook her head in response. She could not trust her voice to come out right, so why risk talking? Especially after she felt Elsa planting another feathery kiss on her neck, this time higher than the first one.

"It is indeed an unfathomable number that we can't even begin to comprehend. But enough of that. Here's the secret I promised. It doesn't matter if there's an infinite number of people out there. You are the most beautiful creature that has ever existed, Anna. Among all the people of every world out there, you are the only one that can make the light of the stars pale. Only you."

Another kiss, another slight shudder. Anna was lost. Her mind was flooded by ideas and emotions that were too many to count, or maybe just too powerful. And that was even before she felt a hand sliding down the front of her body and coming to rest on top of the red hairs that crowned the small mound below her tummy. She gasped again, feeling more confused than ever.

Her mind was sounding a hundred alarms inside her head, but her heart and her body were vehemently demanding that she stay. To Anna, it felt like her very soul had been rooted to that spot in her room.

There was only one notion that managed to surface from within the fog of her thoughts from time to time. Why was her graceful, beautiful, perfect sister talking with such devotion? Why was she placing all this adoration at her feet? As if she were some sort of deity. The world had surely gone mad, and yet, Anna could not bring herself to care anymore. There was only Elsa. Even Elsa's actions took second place to the idea of Elsa.

Anna forcibly spun her body around within her sister's embrace, and captured the blonde's face with both hands. A scorching heat suffused her entire body, urging her to valiantly march onward to where no living creature had ever been before. Queen Elsa of Arendelle's lips.

The kiss itself was not ferocious, but by God were its effects wreaking havoc inside Anna. She felt as if her body had caught fire, but not in a remotely unpleasant way. After all, the only thing she had to do in order to avoid getting consumed by the flames within, was to keep kissing Elsa. That would give the heat an escape. Or so she felt at first.

Suddenly, Anna felt something explode inside of her. At some point, Elsa began to correspond the kiss with earnest fervor, and after that, it was as if something had been unleashed within the redhead. What was even more peculiar, was the source of the building pressure she now felt in the aftermath of the explosion. It came precisely from the place where her legs met. Right there.

Without any preamble, their tongues began dancing with each other's immediately after Anna allowed an inquisitive Elsa entrance into her mouth. A pair of arms, whose slim appearance belied their strength, came around the redhead's body and held her in the tightest, warmest hug she had ever felt. Ever. If this was a competition, as surely as the seasons change, she was not going to lose. So, Anna enveloped Elsa in a tight embrace of her own, and that was when she realized just how soft the blonde's body was. In all the right places.

Ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars. A majestic eagle, that was exactly what Anna's heart itself had become. In this very moment, she was flying across the infinite mantle of stars above them, soaring far beyond the reach of all mortals and their menial concerns. Even time was of no consequence. Right now, she could believe every single one of her sister's compliments. Oh, how she loved Elsa! Gorgeous, radiant as the light of stars, strikingly exquisite Elsa. And this superb, magical creature loved her right back. Her Elsa. Her sister…

Horrified, Anna violently ended the kiss and pushed the blonde away with every ounce of strength she could muster. Elsa yelped and landed on her bottom again, this time rather hard, the floorboards creaking under her weight. Beyond caring, the redhead simply grabbed her nightgown and haphazardly threw it on herself. When the stupid buttons refused to work under her trembling fingers, she growled and tossed her arms in the air. Then, she ran.


	3. Chapter 3

**RECKONING**

Three days went by after she ran away, and Anna now found herself in Elsa's ice palace, starving, freezing, and just too tired to do anything about it. At least for now. Before escaping from Arendelle palace, she had gone looking for Kristoff. Being the nice guy that he always was, he took her to Oaken's store, gave her some money to buy some clothes, and then let her be on her way without asking too many questions.

Anna gave him the excuse that she had a fight with Elsa, which actually was not too far from the truth, and that she wanted to be alone for a while. Just to think and get her feelings in order. Which also was basically true. Only the part about Elsa was a lie, which was nice, since Anna hated being a liar. And that twist of the truth had only happened because, even though Anna trusted Kristoff implicitly, this new development was… well, a rather delicate matter.

Anyway, at this point, Anna would prefer saying that she had miscalculated the amount of food she needed to stay in the North Mountain for a week, but she had not. Truth be told, she was so upset and angry when she arrived, that she had binged on her stash and ran out of food during the course of the second day.

Spring was here, so the palace was actually not that cold, but it still was cold enough. Especially considering she had been without any food for almost two days. Anna let out a loud sigh. She had gone and done it again. As if completely unable to learn from past experiences. She had jumped head first into a situation with no regard for the consequences. Why was it that oftentimes she did not pay any mind to the immediate future? Feeling exhausted and with nothing else to do, her mind began wandering to dark places.

What if she actually died up here? All alone and unable to ever see her friends or her sister again. Without a chance of telling them how much she loved them. Without ever telling her sister how much she loved her like one should not love a sister.

Yes, Anna had come to terms with her feelings. Or, well, she had at least come to terms with the fact that, if nothing else, she needed to have a serious talk with Elsa.

As the day went by, that possibility began getting more and more out of reach. Anna felt the tiredness grow gradually until it pervaded her entire body all the way to her bones. She had assumed that after a short rest she would have been able to walk down the mountain and at least make it back to Oaken's. Unfortunately, as the hours passed, she just grew more and more tired to the point where her eyes began closing on their own. Anna knew that falling asleep when in risk of suffering hypothermia was the worst thing to do, but she just could not help it anymore.

When the darkness finally claimed her, Anna dreamed of nothing, saw no light at the end of a tunnel, or even witnessed all her memories flashing before her eyes. There was only darkness.

"Anna," a voice called from a hundred miles away.

The redhead thought of begging for five more minutes of sleep as she usually did, but her mouth blatantly refused to obey. It felt as if someone had stuck a bunch of dirty socks in there.

"Anna, please." This time the voice sounded way closer. Like, right beside her.

After a short while, the Princess finally managed to open her eyes if only just a crack. Light immediately assaulted her in very painful ways, and she flinched, swiftly shutting her eyes again. God, she regretted even trying. Now she could feel the stirrings of a headache coming. And add to that the fact that her head felt several sizes too large.

"Oh, Anna!" the voice said right before the redhead felt a weight fall on her chest. "You're all right. You're all right!"

Ah, that weight and that shrill voice were doing wonders for her headache. If wonders were made of pain, that is. Well, at least the weight smelled nice. It smelled exactly as Elsa did after leaving her hair unwashed for a couple days. Wait, what?

Anna realized that the weight had to be Elsa. Her beautiful, sensual sister had gone and rescued her from the North Mountain! Like the heroes from books. Probably. Even though she was undeserving and had filthy thoughts, Elsa had found her and brought her back. She was alive!

"Water…" Anna managed to croak. She really needed to wash down those socks if she wanted to say anything to her sister.

"Oh, yes, of course," Elsa exclaimed and then lifted herself away from Anna. The redhead immediately felt colder.

Anna could hear her sister fiddling with something on the bedside table. It clinked, so it most likely was a pitcher. After a few seconds, the redhead suddenly felt smooth glass pressing lightly against her dry lips. Then, the water began flowing down her parched throat, fresh and revitalizing. For a second, Anna thought that it was almost as good as eating chocolate, but dismissed the notion almost as fast as it appeared. That was, quite obviously, absurd. She probably was delirious if she was thinking such nonsense.

After having her fill of water, Anna was once more claimed by the darkness.

When she woke up again, she felt way, way better. There were no more socks in her mouth, no huge head, and very little pain. Two out of three was not that bad. Even Anna herself could not win them all.

"Anna?" Elsa's voice called from somewhere beside the bed.

With difficulty, the redhead turned her head to one side and found her sister sitting on a wooden chair. It did not look comfortable at all, and the appearance of the blonde confirmed that suspicion. Had Elsa been sleeping by her side? The Queen looked tired and unkempt, which was practically the stuff of legend around these parts.

"Elsa." Anna smiled faintly.

Quite unexpectedly, the blonde lunged forward and enveloped her sister in a tight hug.

"Oh, Anna. I'm so glad you're fine. I was so worried, you have no idea."

"Of course I do, we're sisters, silly."

Elsa let out a relieved giggle and then began sobbing on top of Anna's chest. The redhead could not help feeling horrible. She looked at the trembling form of her sister and realized that now she had one more thing to write down in her list of stupid things she had done that ended up hurting Elsa. Not that such a list actually existed, but Anna considered that maybe she should really start one. As a preventive measure.

When Elsa's sobs finally began calming down, Anna looked down her chest and addressed her sister again.

"I just want to say that I'm so sorry for all this, Elsa."

"What?!" The blonde shot up and sat straight while staring at Anna in complete bafflement. Her sapphire eyes looked so weary. In fact, her whole countenance looked that way.

"If…" Elsa started saying, but seemed unable to find the rest of her words. She then stood up and began pacing in front of Anna, arms wrapped around her own body. Seeing her sister like this broke Anna's heart.

"If anyone has to apologize, it's me." The blonde was still pacing around as she talked. "There were… no… I have all these feelings inside of me. Things that are twisted and wrong."

Elsa shook her head and the pacing intensified. Now she was wringing her hands.

"I was desperate, Anna. I didn't know what to do, and then ended up doing the worst possible thing. Putting all the pressure of my own corrupted feelings on you. I'm so sorry, Anna. I…"

In that moment, the redhead found a sliver of strength and managed to sit up and reach for her sister's arm.

"Shh," Anna said while trying to pull Elsa toward her, but the grip she had on the blonde's wrist was feeble at best.

"No, Anna." The Queen was standing her ground both literally and figuratively.

"Elsa, please," Anna said, extending her free arm toward her sister as if to offer a hug. "Stop that and come here."

"No, you don't understand. I'm your big sister, I was supposed to protect you. What a fine job I've done my entire life! I'm worthle…"

"Elsa!" Anna shouted, startling her sister.

Before the blonde could begin with the self-deprecation anew, she continued.

"If you stop with the apologizing, then I'll tell you a secret. Would you like that, Elsa?"

Of course Anna knew it was a long shot. Even though the redhead was the member of the royal family known for being feisty and stubborn, people had no idea that their Queen was more stubborn than all the mules in the kingdom put together.

Elsa looked away from Anna, and then sighed tiredly after a few seconds. The redhead practically jumped in celebration of her victory. Being in the state she was, though, that would have to wait for another time.

"I would love that," the blonde said, and her eyes softened as the ghost of a smile graced her lips.

This was it. The moment of truth was here. Anna did not know for certain if she was ready, but when had that stopped her ever before? In any case, she had been born ready! Right? All she had to do was collect her thoughts, sift through her feelings, and then try to eloquently put it out there for her sister. Easy peasy.

Then again, this was Anna.

"I liked it!" she blurted, and then stared at her sister while her sister stared right back.

Ah, yes, the familiar burn of flushed cheeks. Anna was certain that, not only did she look like a tomato, she had transformed into one. Yep, she was now a tomato.

"Anna?" Elsa called to her, a little caution coloring her words.

The redhead buried her face in her hands.

"Everything you did to me this past month? I loved all of it, Elsa. There, that's the truth I've been denying even to my own self. Now it's out. Now you know. It's not enough to have twisted feelings for my sister, oh no. You know me, always the competitive one. So, to add insult to injury, I also am a deviant in the bedroom."

There was an awkward silence, and Anna laughed bitterly, her face still hidden in her hands.

"For God's sake, I even liked that dominant side of you! How you ordered me around and acted all queenly in my chambers. How can you even stand me when I'm such a horrible, depraved person?"

Now it was Anna's self-deprecation that got cut short. The temperature in the room had dropped sharply, which startled her enough to look up from her own hands.

Whatever she had been expecting, it certainly was not Elsa dancing in the middle of her room. The blonde slowly spun and twirled on the frozen floor, a gentle whirlwind of blues and whites. She was elegance and delicate beauty made human. As her arms moved with grace across the air, her hands turned daintily in this and that direction, and from the floor began rising a sparkling statue of multicolored ice.

Anna had seen Elsa sculpt things with her magic before, but nothing as complex as this. It was nothing short of awe-inspiring. All the redhead could do was gawk in silence as the sculpture took shape in front of her eyes.

Every detail, down to the strands that made its gown, was perfect. Its flowing clothes and thick waves of hair appeared to be moving, as if caressed by the summer breeze. But its most amazing feature was the way it reflected the rays from the sun. Oh, the way it scattered light! It seemed like every single snowflake that fell around it caused the sculpture's color to shift. There was a living rainbow in her bedchambers, Anna suddenly realized. And for a thing made of something so cold, it certainly had an aura of warmth to its radiance.

"Do you know who this is?" Elsa asked, looking Anna squarely in the eyes.

"I… uh," the redhead stumbled with her own words. History and mythology had never been her strong suit, and this was obviously something taken from either of those. "Is it one of those Goddesses from the old legends? Freyja? Maybe? I don't know…"

Anna sighed and began scratching the back of her head.

"Look closer," Elsa said, pointing with one finger at the face of the statue.

It took her a while, but after much squinting, craning her neck left and right, and making frames with her fingers, the realization finally fell on Anna's lap.

"No," She said incredulously, as if she had just seen people rising from their graves. "Me? That's crazy, Elsa. _You've_ gone crazy."

"You really don't know anything, do you, Anna?" Elsa chuckled lightly and turned her head toward the statue, a loving gaze in those pretty eyes that were so full of devotion. Those eyes that to Anna were like the two most perfect gemstones in the entire world. Sapphires of endless depth that held the power to capture her attention by will alone.

Elsa caressed the side of the sculpture before continuing.

"This is how I see you. This is what you are to me. Never doubt it, never forget it."

To think that she had actually harbored so many doubts about her relationship with Elsa. Yet, here she was, being presented with this beautiful gift from her sister. Anna was perplexed at her own ignorance. The redhead's eyes filled to the brim with tears without any warning, and before she could even think of wiping them away, they fell in thick rivulets down her cheeks.

"Oh, Elsa…" Anna sobbed, and that was all she managed to get out.

Elsa practically pounced on her sister with a single leap, and then their lips met without a hint of hesitation. It was clumsy, it was hot, it was sweet. It was perfection wrapped in one fleeting moment. And yes, to the young Princess of Arendelle, it was in fact better than chocolate. Way, way better.

"I love you, Anna," the blonde said as they separated, staring unerringly into her sister's eyes.

"I love you, Elsa."

**FIN**


End file.
